Rail-joint.



J. MADDEN. RAIL JOINT- APPLICATION FILED AUG.25{I9I6.

1,220,250. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

(762811. q/u'vlmzoo James a J. MADDEN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-26,1916.

1,220,250. Patentd Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

anumtoz Jrmes fiad'clew.

Witness unrrnn STATES PATENT ormcn.

JAMES MADDEN, or TURNER, KANSAS.

RAIL-JOINT;

Application filed August 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES MADDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Turner, in the county of \Vyandotte, State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of whichthe following is a full and exact specification.

The present invention relates to rail joints, and aims to devise animproved construction of insulated rail joint in which provision is madefor holding the parts in a relation which will guard against mutilationof the insulating material at the ends of the rails when the latter areaffected by temper ature changes. For this purpose the rails are joinedby bolts and clamping means in a manner holding the rail ends securelyagainst any material relative movement. It is also an object to devise arigid, strong and durable construction which will be'effective for thedesired purpose as well as comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

lVith this general object in view, the invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form ofembodiment of the improvements, after which those features andcombinations deemed to be novel will be set forth and defined in theappended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructedin accordance with the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 8 are horizontal sections on the lines IIII and III'III,respectively, of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections on the lines IV'IV and V-V,respectively, of F 1 but taken on a larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the various elements which are attachedto the rails for forming the joint; and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the end portions2, 2, of the railsare shown as separated by the usual section of insulation 4, and eachrail end 2 is provided with a pair of channel plates 6, 6, adapted toembrace the opposite faces thereof in clamping relation. One of each ofsaid pairs of clamping plates 6 is provided with a rail gripping portion7 formed with a channel 8 adapted to embrace the base of the rail andterminating in a wedge socket portion 10 adapted to receiveSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27,1911

Serial No. 116,994.

a wedge piece or tenon 12 carried by the other clamping plate of eachpair, said tenon 12 being formed on a similar rail gripping portion 7provided on the corresponding plate 6 for gripping the opposite side ofthe base of the rail. These rail gripping portions are either formedintegral with the plates 6, or securely united therewith in any approvedmanner, and the wedge piece 12 and the socket 10 are formed with thecorrespondingly inclined surfaces 11, adapted, as the tenon 12 isreceived in the socket 10 (see Figs. 3 and 4:, showing the inclinationof said surfaces 11 slightly exaggerated), to cause the plates 6 withtheir portions 7 to move into tight clamping engagement with the rail.

Seated against the plates 6 at one side of the joint (or on the insideof the rails with relation to the track) is a continuous connecting bar14: suitably insulated from one of said plates 6 by the sheet of fibermaterial 16. On the opposite side ofthe rails the plates 6 have seatedtherein a pair of short filler bars 18, outside which is applied thecontinuous angle plate 20, the vertical portion of which embraces bothsaid bars 18 and the lower edges of the corresponding plates 6 (see Fig.5) while the horizontal portion of said plate 20 extends beneath andsupports said end portions 2, 2, of the rails, with the ends of plate 20abutting against said portions 7, the inner face of one half of theplate 20 being lined with the insulating fabric 22 as shown in Fig. 7. aThe various elements above enumerated are provided with suitable boltopenings 24;, as illustrated, to accommodate bolts 26 for holding theparts of the joint when assembled in the relation shown and described,the

outer ends of the bolts being fitted with the insulating sleeves 28. v

It will thus be apparent that a simple and effective construction hasbeen devised for fulfilling the objects of the invention. As previouslyconstructed, with insulation between the adjoining ends of the rails andbolt connections adapted to permit slight movements of the end portionsof the rails due to temperature changes, the tendency is to damage theinsulation at the joint and require repeated cutting of the rails atdifferent points to accommodate changed conditions. With the improvedconstruction the object is to provide a substantially solid jointstructure in which relative movement of the rail end portions will bepractically stopped and the temperature changes in the rails preventedfrom causing the rail terminals to jam the insulation. It will be notedthat the plates 6 are assembled by applying first the plates providedwith the socket portions 10, and then the companion plates are driveninto position endwise, the wedge pieces 12 entering the sockets 10 andthe wedging surfaces comprising the inclined faces 11 cooperating todraw the plates 6 with their rail-gripping portions 7 into tight andsecure clamping engagement with the opposite sides of the rails. Thecross-section of the rails is in effect increased at the joint andgreater bearing afforded for the. action of the bolts, and with thelatter in place and properly held by the nuts 30, and with plate 20abutting against said portions 7, it will be seen that a firm and strongjoint structure is provided in which the parts are securely held againstany material relative movement taking place within the joint proper.

While the foregoing represents what is now deemed to constitute thepreferred form of embodiment of the invention, the right is reserved tosuch formal changes and modifications as may fairly fall within thescope of the appended claims.

Claims:

1. An insulated rail joint comprising insulated rail end portions, platemembers carried by each of said end portions, means for securing saidend portions together with said members embracing opposite facesthereof, and additional interengaging means acting upon relativelongitudinal movement of said members to wedge the latter tightlyagainst said opposite faces.

2. An insulated rail joint comprising insulating rail end portions,separate plate members carried by each of-said end portions, meansconnecting said plate members and securing the same to the oppositefaces of said end portions, and interengaging means carried by the platemembers of each end portion and cooperating to hold said members intight gripping engagement with said end portions.

, 3. An insulated rail joint comprising insulated rail end portions, andseparate plate members carried by each of said end' portions andprovided with inter-engaging means coacting upon relative longitudinalmovement of said members to wedge the latter into tight clampingengagement with the opposite sides of said end portions.

l. An insulated rail joint comprising insulated rail end portions,separate plate members for securing said end portions together, saidplate members being formed with eX- tensions embracing the base of thecorresponding rail and provided with cooperating wedge and wedge socketportions adapted to cause said plate members to gripthe opposite sidesof the corresponding end portion, and bolts for securing the parts injoint relation.

5. An insulated rail joint comprising insulated rail end portions,separate plate 1nembers carried by said end portions, connecting membersfor securing said end portions together, the plate members of each pairof said plate members being formed with extensions embracing the base ofthe corresponding rail and provided with cooperating wedge and socketportions adapted to cause said plate. members to grip the opposite sidesof the corresponding end portion, and bolts for securing the parts inoint relation.

6. An insulated railjoint comprising insulated rail end portionsprovided with extensions projecting laterally therefrom, and r a barsecured to and connecting said end portions and extending in abuttingrelation with said extensions.

7. An insulated rail joint comprising insulated rail end portions,members secured to said end portions and provided with means for Wedgingsaid members into tight clamping engagement with said end portions, anda bar secured to and connecting said end portions and extending intoabutting relation with said wedging means.

8. An insulated rail joint comprising insulated rail end portions, platemembers secured to said end portions and provided with means acting towedge said members into tight clamping engagement with said endportions, and means providing an abutment for engagement with saidwedging means upon relative approaching movement of said rail endportions.

JAMES MADDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

